Gab Hernandez 
The Silent Hill 2 remake’s release inches closer and Bloober Team has stealthily updated the game’s graphics, including the model of main character James Sunderland, in what might be a larger shakeup to the game.
The Silent Hill 2 remake has been met with a mixed reception from the series’ surviving fandom. Although the initial trailers looked promising, attitudes quickly changed after the Silent Hill 2 “Combat” trailer. Bloober Team, in a since-deleted interview, shifted the blame to Konami’s marketing team for making the remake look more combat-oriented than it is.
On top of the Silent Hill 2 discourse, Konami hasn’t had the best track record with the other Silent Hill projects since reviving the series. Fans hated Silent Hill: Ascension after it introduced microtransactions and fan voting into the psychological horror franchise. Meanwhile, Silent Hill: The Short Message was a more traditional Silent Hill story but received mixed reviews. The onus is on Bloober to make Silent Hill 2 remake the best it can be, and the studio seems to be making some late changes to the game.
Redesigned James Sunderland model for Silent Hill 2 remake leaked
A hidden Steam update leaked a new look for James Sunderland in the Silent Hill 2 remake.
The old model’s screenshot remains on the publicly visible Steam page, but data-mined files revealed the new look. This may be another sign of the game’s release coming closer, though there have been outward signs of miscommunications between all involved parties, including possible changes being leaked and a sizable retail presence for the game despite it not even having a release date yet.
Many fans criticized the previous Silent Hill 2 remake model for James Sunderland, saying he looked too old and harsh. His hair was much darker than in the original, and the lines on his face were more pronounced, which made him look aged. The new model feels much closer to the 2001 iteration of James, with lighter hair and a more blank expression, befitting the character.
Will the Silent Hill 2 remake make changes to the story?
Bloober Team claims it will stay faithful to the original game’s story, though there are also indications that Silent Hill 2 will receive some changes in the remake.
For the most part, Bloober Team seems committed to modernizing Silent Hill 2’s graphics and gameplay while leaving the story untouched. However, a few leaked details hinted at subtle changes to Silent Hill 2’s plot, such as making Angela’s knife a usable weapon and adding a new “pole-dancing” scene.
These changes may signify that Bloober has listened closely to the community. The studio already faced scrutiny by remaking a beloved classic, and adjusting may save them from heat later on. Of course, that’s just one screenshot. Whether the entire game will receive a graphical overhaul from what fans have seen so far remains unknown.
